"It's very cool," Pitt said as he paused on the carpet to speak to two Bay Area papers. "We've been gearing up for this viewing for a long time. This is a special screening for us.

"The people of Oakland gave such a great response. They stayed up with us for hours on end to tape the baseball scenes and never lost energy. We see a lot of fans from the '02 season. It's just special."

A crowd of several hundred gathered across the street from the Paramount and cheered wildly, even before any celebrities arrived. "Let's go, Oakland!" was the most frequent chant.

"We love Brad Pitt, but this is all about the A's," said Rasheda Anthony, 36, of Oakland. "Something like this is way overdue for this city."

Actor Chris Pratt, left, and former Oakland Athletic Scott Hatteberg arrive at the Paramount Theatre of the Arts for the premiere screening of the movie "Moneyball" Monday, Sept. 19, 2011, in Oakland, Calif. ... more

Actor Chris Pratt, left, and former Oakland Athletic Scott Hatteberg arrive at the Paramount Theatre of the Arts for the premiere screening of the movie "Moneyball" Monday, Sept. 19, 2011, in Oakland, Calif. ... more

Pitt and many of the Moneyball principals spent the day doing interviews at the Coliseum, and it became apparent during a session with Bay Area sports media that Pitt might have been attracted to "Moneyball" because the hero, Beane, didn't actually have much success playing baseball.

"My relationship with baseball was cantankerous at best," Pitt said, grinning. "I've got a crap arm. I thought I could hit, until these guys laughed at the way I was swinging. My career ended with 18 stitches under the eye on a pop fly at high noon.

"Not my gift, let me just say. Not my gift."

Having played Beane in a movie, Pitt disclosed that he now follows Oakland, and he said, "I feel a bit romantic about the A's."

Beane's unspectacular pro career after being drafted in the first round is somewhat exaggerated in "Moneyball," but there was a reason for that. Pitt said of Beane's stalled baseball career, "It was that very thing that led to this other thing that we could label a success - and that I could understand more - a failure being an impetus for the next move."

Pitt said he was so taken with the book "Moneyball" that he was determined to bring it to the big screen, despite numerous obstacles, such as the original studio stopping production just as filming was to begin. Making a business book cinematic also presented issues.

"It was a difficult one to complete, due to the complex material," he said. "Economics and sabermetrics isn't necessarily nail-biting stuff, edge-of-your-seat kind of movie entertainment."

Another of the major actors, Chris Pratt, has a less than storied baseball background. Pratt, who plays first baseman Scott Hatteberg, said he has not hit a home run at any level, including T-ball, and in the movie, Pratt, a right-handed hitter, must bat lefty. Through the magic of cinema, his homer gives the A's their record 20th consecutive victory.

Pratt nails Hatteberg's preparations at the plate, and he accurately captures Hatteberg's joyous trip around the bases on the game-winning homer.

"None of it was spontaneous," Pratt said. "That was the one physicality that I really spent a ton of time trying to mimic exactly.

"It's a legendary moment, so it's caught in the ether. I watched it over and over, and it was pretty awesome. ... Except the time I tripped over at third base in front of 5,000 people. That was pretty embarrassing."

Hatteberg is a fan of Pratt's performance and he's thrilled to see his homer on the big screen. "I was beyond lucky to be involved in this whole situation," he said. "To be a part of such a great team and be put in that situation, and to have lightning strike and be the guy that ends up winning it is just a thrill. Having it put in a movie is too cool."

Another of the 2002 A's, David Justice, attended the premiere, as did most of the A's players, including Hideki Matsui. Matsui said his favorite baseball movie is "The Natural."

High-powered baseball agent Scott Boras walked the red carpet, and though he's called a bad name in "Moneyball," he described the movie as "great for baseball."

US Airways hero Captain Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, an East Bay resident, was on hand, and he echoed the general sentiment when he said, "It's great this premiere is in Oakland. It's the best place for it."